Snips & Snails & Puppy Dog Tales
by Peacebunnie
Summary: Short stories and AU snippets. Currently planned - Life on the Mountain: the Adventures of Shishou and Deshi; Legacy; Rurouni Pair.
1. Life on the Mountain 1

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_Psychotic Peacebunnie Productions Proudly Presents:_

LIFE ON THE MOUNTAIN: THE ADVENTURES OF SHISHOU AND DESHI

© I Don't Know Where This Came From

* * *

_What's your name, boy?_

_Shinta._

The walk back was quiet. Now slipping out of shock, his thoughts on the field of corpses, the boy didn't speak; and the night was serene for Hiko to contemplate the dark sky and its large moon looming overhead. Assorted bits of plant matter crunched under their feet while insects buzzed in the star-lit bushes, lending realism to an otherwise unearthly night.

_Much too delicate a name for a swordsman. From now on your name will be Kenshin._

_Ken...shin..._

They arrived at the cabin, and Hiko carefully led the boy inside. He then stood in the door and watched, as the boy dazedly wandered further in. The boy looked around, eyes slowly losing focus. He looked like he was going to drop any minute.

_I am going to teach you, boy. Teach you my finest knowledge._

First things first, then. No matter how tired the boy was, a bath was priority. He could sleep all he wanted later, and Hiko wouldn't complain.

(Not now, anyway. Hiko still remembered being a teenager; the boy would not be allowed to sleep through morning chores. Ever. But he didn't have to worry about that for a few years, at least.)

Hiko snorted, and the boy's unfocused stare turned towards him. On second thought, maybe not a bath. The boy was so out of it he might drown. Tomorrow, then.

"Stay here. I'm going to get some water." On receiving an indistinct murmur, he grabbed a bucket and left.

He used the time walking to and from the creek to consider how he would work with his new deshi. He'd had plenty of time over the years to consider training exercises, but whenever he'd imagined taking a student, he hadn't imagined an emotionally damaged, grieving ex-slave.

He dismissed the line of thought as he stepped back in the warmer cabin. The boy was almost exactly where he'd left him, eyes glazing over, and Hiko was alarmed. Drawing the child's mind back to the present needed to be done quickly.

Hiko set the full bucket down, away from the bedding, and in several strides crossed the room. Reaching up, he pulled a wash rag from a shelf, and turned back to the boy. He was so pale...

He went to the boy - _Kenshin, now_- and grabbed his arm, leading him over to the bucket. Hiko dipped the rag in, wrung it, and started scrubbing the boy's hands.

The child winced. Hiko noticed, and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it?"

"Cold," the child muttered, just loud enough to be heard. Hiko went back to cleaning him.

When he found the boy suitably clean for the night, Hiko dumped the water outside and laid out his futon. He stared at it a moment, considering. The boy was small; he would get cold easily. He needed an extra blanket.

Hiko retrieved several blankets, dumping them on the bed. He glanced back at the boy; Kenshin was watching him now. The boy's gaze was still somewhat unfocused, but it was an improvement. Hiko gestured to his new deshi. Kenshin wandered over cautiously.

"I don't have anywhere to put you, so we're sharing for now," Hiko said. Kenshin stared at him, then nodded slowly.

Hiko was too tired to change for bed, so he hung up his cloak, kicked off his shoes, removed his sword and got under his blanket. Once he settled, he gestured again, and Kenshin joined him, kicking off his own sandals. Hiko made sure the boy was wrapped firmly in a blanket of his own, before draping the first to cover them both and rolling over to sleep.

* * *

Hiko blinked several times, trying to register what was so uncomfortable. Reaching full consciousness, he realized. _Oh. Heat. _Summer nights were chill, but being wrapped in blankets late on a summer morning wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination.

The boy was still sleeping; Hiko could hear the deep, even breaths behind him. He lifted the edge of the blanket carefully, deciding to get up and start on breakfast. The moment he began to stand, however, Kenshin was sitting up, blinking sleepy eyes. Hiko looked back at him, faintly surprised. Kenshin turned to him, staring back, still bundled and red hair sticking out at every angle.

Snorting, Hiko dropped the blanket and stood. Kenshin watched him, then began to look around, his face still blank but his ki confused.

Hiko picked up the blanket and started folding. After observing a moment, Kenshin wiggled free of the second blanket, picking it up and trying to fold it. Unfortunately, it was too large for such a small child. Kenshin couldn't straighten the blanket between the corners he held together; Hiko hid his smile.

Finishing the first blanket and setting it aside, Hiko reached for Kenshin's and finished folding it. Bereft of the task, Kenshin looked momentarily lost.

Hiko put away the futon and blankets, moving to start some miso soup. Kenshin trailed him, standing over his shoulder and watching the food until Hiko forced him to sit.

When it was ready, Hiko spooned a serving for Kenshin, and they ate without speaking. Breakfast finished, Hiko gathered the dishes, placing them in a small tub and carrying it to the creek. Kenshin again trailed him, stumbling every now and again as his focus drifted.

Hiko, observing his distraction, gave him a bowl to wash. Kenshin fell to it with his full concentration, scrubbing vigorously. His tongue stuck out between his teeth, and Hiko wasn't sure whether to be amused or bemused, so he scrubbed his own dishes instead.

_I have no idea what I'm doing, taking in a child,_ Hiko mused. _At least he seems resilient enough to survive anyway._

_This should prove interesting._

* * *

Okay, so I have several files that have been sitting on my computer. First drafts and rough outlines, or just a string of ideas – maybe not enough for a whole story, but certainly enough for a collection of snippets. :)

This first one was originally going to be a full story – but then life got in the way, the muse dried out, and a lot of the ideas I jotted down in the past I just don't like anymore. So I decided to keep the intro chapter, and later in this ficlet collection I'll add little mini-scenes from Kenshin's training years.

As a heads up: I like the weird supernatural-esque things. So some parts will have weird things, and some will be closer to comedy or something else. No over-arching tone in this collection.

I'll also be adding a chapter with Kenshin and Enishi (which also never turned into a full fic), and a very myth/fairy tale version of Kenshin's family history. Apparently I like to wipeout canon entirely with my love of weirdness.

Hugs & kisses for Ducky'sgirl4ever, Lucathia Rykatu, Summercloud, Forlorn Maiden, Little Karma, Viridian, Byoshi1993, Asania, and Lau. You probably reviewed when I was super busy at work, I didn't have time to thank you right away, and then I was so late replying I didn't know what to say. So I took note of the names to give a future shout out! THANK YOU ALL!


	2. Rurouni Pair

In a dark clearing, a campfire crackled while two men eyed the fishes cooking in the flames. After several minutes of this, the taller of the two turned to regard the shorter, and shook his head.

"You really shouldn't have let them charge us that much. It was highway robbery for clothes in this condition -"

The short man closed his eyes, the hand around his sword tightening for a moment. "It was a reasonable price for the area, that it was. And it is better than going without - your clothes were nearly shreds."

"It wasn't that bad," the taller man grumbled, shifting and setting his own sword down. "We should have just waited 'till the next town."

"Perhaps it shouldn't matter so much, as what's done is done." The other carefully removed the fish, handing one to his companion. "Perhaps we should eat, and get some sleep? We have a long walk to reach Tokyo, that we do."

The tall man didn't want to let it go. "You could have gotten a better price, but no, you let them walk all over you."

Both men started on their meal. There was calm for a few moments as they ate, a slight breeze and the sound of chewing the only disruption. Until the taller of the two narrowed his eyes.

"Must you be such a doormat?"

The shorter sighed, exasperated. "Must you be such an ass?"

~  
5P:

RUROUNI PAIR: MEIJI WANDERING SWORDSMEN

© Help Me

* * *

"Hitokiri Battousai!"

The two men in tattered gi and hakama turned to the source of the shout, to see a determined young woman with a bokken and a fierce expression. One man dropped a hand to the sword at his side.

"I've found you," she growled.

The taller of the two men snickered. "She called you."

The shorter man drew his sheathed sword and nonchalantly bashed the other upside the head. "She was talking to you."

The taller man stopped snickering. "Hey! I am not!"

The girl jabbed furiously at him. "Who else would break the law and carry a sword? Don't take me for a fool!"

She ran at the taller man, swinging. He stepped out of the way, leaving the shorter man open to be hit. The short, red haired man took the swing, and was thrown into a nearby fence. The girl looked incredulous.

The tall man protested loudly, "The real Hitokiri Battousai is an over talented heartless fiend! He's a freak of nature and a moron and probably too stupid to get a good price for clothes! Clearly I am none of these things." The girl's attention was drawn to him.

Unseen by the girl, the shorter man was glaring daggers.

"Then why do you have a sword! For two months, the Battousai has murdered at will! No one else would dare to carry a sword in these times!"

The tall man raised his eyebrows at the word 'murder.'

The one on the ground tried to diffuse the situation. "We are just rurouni, that we are. Traveling swordsmen with no destination. Having just arrived in town, how could a murder be our fault?" He laughed nervously.

She looked uncertain, and frustrated. "But your swords!"

The short one held out his sword, and she drew the blade. "A sakabato!"

The redhead smiled. "How many could one kill with this?"

"Not many..." She inspected it closely. "The blade shows no sign of wear... it hasn't been used once." She looked between them. "Then you're - really -"

"Rurouni. Yes." He smiled again.

"But why carry a blade you can't use? And what about his sword? Is it -" A whistle sounded. "Police whistle! I have to go!" The girl hollered, throwing his sword at him as she dashed off. The redhead fumbled with it until the girl was out of sight, then neatly sheathed it as she turned a corner.

The tall man laughed under his breath, running a hand through his spiky white hair. "We going?"

The short man nodded, standing and dusting himself off. "Um-hmm."

* * *

If I had come up with sufficient story alterations to write this fic, I had a chapter format already worked out. There'd be the little intro section, then the chapter header, and then the chapter itself. After that any notes, and following _that _I wanted to add an omake section. But not in Meiji era. No, those were going to start right after Tomoe's death, cover Kenshin tracking down and caring for Enishi, Enishi's gradually more ridiculous shenanigans during the war and by the end of it the last one would show the relationship altered to what it is in the very first chapter.

If someone wants to write this, I'd be really happy. Just think, How would Shishio's plans change if he was getting different weapons? And what kinds of trouble has Enishi caused that would come back to bite him, instead of the Jinchu arc?

Rurouni Pair: Meiji Wandering Swordsmen - In the aftermath of Otsu, Kenshin is stuck raising Enishi. The years go by and he gets dragged across Japan, causing chaos for Kenshin wherever they go. (AU. Like, a lot.)


	3. Life on the Mountain 2

The nightmares had finally lessened - his deshi was adjusting to his new routine, coming to trust that he wouldn't be harmed.

Well, nothing beyond training injuries, anyway.

It was good to see his spirit showing, after all he had endured; Hiko had worried the boy wouldn't recover. He almost never spoke, true, but he'd become very expressive in other ways.

Quizzical tilts of the head, energetic nods, bright smiles. Strongly disapproving expressions when he thought the meal was spiced just fine and should not be altered. Really, these shows of emotion were a good thing.

But if the kid didn't stop trying to shoo him away from the cooking pot, he was going to be thrown in the river, waving spoon and all.

* * *

The door creaked as it opened, revealing a shop full of neat shelves. Fabric, tools, medicine, food: the small building looked full to bursting! Kenshin's eyes shot back and forth as he followed his Shishou in, trying to see everything.

A chuckle, and he looked to the back corner.

An older woman was coming from the back - her kimono was very pretty, but not new, and her dark gray hair was pinned in a bun.

"A new friend, Seijuro? And you so remiss as to wait to introduce him."

Shishou raised an eyebrow.

"Forgive our lateness, then." Kenshin was pulled forward. "This is my deshi, Himura Kenshin. Kenshin, this is Inoue Kiku, the proprietress of this establishment."

Kenshin blinked, confused, and his Shishou turned to him, raising an eyebrow again. Kenshin quickly bowed. When he stood up, Inoue-san was looking at him.

"You're a fluffy little thing, aren't you," she said. Kenshin stepped back.

"He had a run in with a tree branch on the way," Shishou said, sounding grouchy. Inoue-san raised a hand that almost covered her smile.

"So I see."

Then his Shishou and Inoue-san were talking, so Kenshin went to look at the shelves. There were lots of different jars, and he looked at them closely. Then he looked at the rice - there was so much of it! And then the fabrics; so many bright colors, and some even had pictures.

"You fond of bright colors, then?"

Kenshin jumped. He hadn't heard Inoue-san come over.

"Wait right there - I just can't let you leave still looking like that." And Inoue-san disappeared into her back room. Shishou seemed grumpy again.

Inoue-san came back, holding a piece of fabric that looked like it had been torn from something else. She smoothed down Kenshin's hair, and tied it back with the pretty fabric.

"There. Now you're decent. Seijuro, feel free to bring your fluff back anytime. But for now, get out."

And she shooed them out the door.

On the way home, Shishou kept muttering; something about 'little girls' and 'hair bows' and 'he looks enough like one, already.'

* * *

Once upon a time, these mini-fics had a summary, and re-reading it kinda makes me sad I didn't have more ideas - [Short story collection] Hiko. Kenshin. On growing and training and the makings of a Hiten Mitsurugi swordsman. Heaven help them both, they're gonna need it.


End file.
